Refrigerator attachment for beer-barrels



(No Model.)

A. B. KOKERNOT. RBFRIGERATORATTAGHMENT FOR BEER BARBELS.

No. 500,012. Patented June 20, 1893.

position therein.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

ALEXANDER B. KOKERNOT, OF NElV ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

REFRIGERATOR ATTACHMENT FOR BEER-BARRELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,012, dated June 20, 1893.

Application filed January 11, 1893- Serial No. 458050- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER l3. KOKER- NOT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Refrigerator Attachments for Beer-Barrels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to refrigerating attachments for beer barrels and other vessels wherein a tubular'receptacle for the refrigerant is secured to the barrel heads by means of screw-threaded bushings, and the invention consists in the peculiar features of construction and novel combinations of devices for securing the bushings in place and for attaching the refrigerator tube thereto or detaching it therefrom, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawings illustrating the invention Figure 1, is a central vertical section of a barrel with the refrigerator tube in Fig. 2,is a view of a device for use in assisting to support and hold the barrel while the bushings for the refrigerator tube are being screwed into place. Fig. 3, is an inverted plan of the same. Fig. 4, is an elevation of the devices for supporting the barrel or vessel while inserting and removing the refrigerator tube. Fig. 5, is a plan view of the same. Fig. 5" is a detail sectional view of the upper end portion of one 0f the vertical arms. Fig. 6, is a plan of a ring forming part of said supporting devices. Fig. 7, isa sectional view of said ring. elevation of a key for screwing the bushings into place. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the same and Fig. 9, is a plan ofa ring that may be used for confining the bushing, and Fig. 10 is a detail viewof one of the vertical guide rods to more clearly illustrate the slot in its foot portion.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 1, designates the barrel and 2 the barrel heads having holes in which the externally threaded bushings 3 are inserted. The bushings 3 have smooth interiors to receive the ends of the refrigerator tube 4,wl1ich'is of sufficient length to extend through both bushings and project outside thebarrel heads. Each bushing 3 is provided at its outer end with a lateral flange Fig. '8, is a side countersunk into the head of the barrel or vessel.

The ends of the refrigerator tube 4 extend outward beyond the bushings 3 and are externally screw-threaded for engagement with nuts 5. The outer edgeof the interior circumference of each bushing 3 is sunken or chamfered and the adjacent portions of the nuts 5 are correspondingly sunken or chamfered whereby receptacles are formed for a packing 6 to form perfectly tight joints when the parts are in position. Over these nuts 5 are arranged sleeves or caps 7 having smooth exteriors and screw-threaded interiors.

The lower end of the refrigerator tube 4 may be internally screw-threaded to receive a bush or partition 8 that is externally screw threaded and provided with a faucet which may be opened when it is desired to discharge any accumulated water or other liquid contents of the refrigerator tube.

' For the purpose of facilitating insertion of the bushings 3 and the attaching and detaching of the refrigerator tube I employ the devices shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7. These devices comprise a vertical bushing 9'provided with three or more horizontal foot pieces 10 that are suitably'secured to any convenient stationary support 11 as shown in Fig. 4. Vertical guide rods 12 are detachably and adjustably connected to the foot pieces 10 by means of horizontal plates or shoes 13 which guide rods 12 may be conveniently adjusted laterally. The guide rods 12 are each of such length as toreach the largest diameter of the barrel or vessel, andat their upper ends each guide arm is provided with a clamp 15, which is adjusted to and from the barrel or vessel by means of a set screw 16, the clamp being guided in' its movements by pins 17 which slide in recesses therefor in the guide rods 12. The top edge of the bushing9 is made smooth and even all around except at suitable points Where recesses 18 are provided fora purpose hereinafter explained When it is desired to screw the bushings 3 is provided with lugs 23 which are now oninto place in the heads of a barrel or other 1 closed vessel, I place on the bushing 9, Fig. 4, a hollow cylinder or tubular cap 19, Fig. 2,

having a square head or plate 20 at one end. The tubular cap 19 is made to fit easily over the bushing 9 but without wabbling thereon. The greatest diameter of the square head 20, or the distance between diagonally opposite corners, may be the same as the diameter of the outside of the barrel head, so that the corners of said plate or square head 20 will fit tightly within the chines, or, as shown in Fig. 3, the under side of the cap head 20 may be provided with pivoted ratchet arms 25 for engaging the chines. The inner 'Walls of the tubular cap 19 are provided with lugs 21 to engage the recesses 18 in the top of the stationary bushing!) and thus when the barrel is placed on the head 20 and securely clamped by the guide arms 12 and ratchet arms 25 it will be firmly held and prevented from turning. To screw the bushing 3 in position, the cap 19 is slipped on to the stationary bushing 9 and the lugs 21 engaged in the notches or recesses 18 of the said stationary bushing. The barrel is then placed in position with its bottom head resting on the square head 20, the chines of the barrel extending down below said square head so that the ratchet arms 25 may be engaged with the chines and thus prevent the barrel from circling either to the right or left. The clamps 15 at the upper ends of the guide rods 12 are now to be adjusted closely to the bilge of the barrel by means of the set screws 16 so as to hold the barrel firmly. A

head of the barrel by means of the key shown in Fig. 8, or other suitable instrument and then by unclamping the barrel its position can be reversed and a bushing 3 be screwed in like manner into the other head.

When it is desired to attach the refrigerator tube 4 to the barrel a not 5 is screwed to one end of the refrigerator tube and over the said end a head or ring 22, Fig. 6, is screwed up to the nut. This head or ring 22 gaged in the recesses 18 of the stationary bushing 9, the headed cap 19 having been previously removed. By means of this engagement 0f the head or ring 22 with the stationary bushing 9 the refrigerator tube 4, on whichsaid ring is screwed, will be held securely in a vertical position. -.The packingfi for thelower end of the tube l isthen passed down over the tube until it rests in the chamferededge of the nut 5 and the barrel or-vessel, to which the bushings 3 have been-previouslyattached is then slipped over the refrigerator tube until the bushings 3-at both ends of the barrel are fully engaged with said tube. The lower head of the barrel will then rest firmly on the ring 22 and the upper end of the refrigerator tube will project through the bushing in the upper head of the barrel. To guide the lower head of the barrel toits position on thebushing 9 and to holdit in a fixed position the guide rods 12 are adjusted sufliciently close to the barrel to permit the barrel being passed in and out freely and the clamps 15 are then, by means of the set screws 16 forced against the vessel. ,Over the upper end of the tube 4 is now passed the packing To detach the refrigerator tube from 'the barrel or vessel the caps 7 are removed, the

ring 22 is screwed'onto one end of the refrigerator tube, and the set screws 24 with which said ring is provided are, screwed down on the nut 5, wherebysaid nut is held fixed.

The barrel is then placed upon the bushing 9, 1

being guided thereto by the guide rods 12,

the lugs 23 of the ring 22 are engaged in the recesses 18 of said bushings) and the clamps 15 at the upper ends of the guide rods 12are tightened against the barrel. The nut 5 on.

the upper end of the refrigerator tube is then unscrewed, the clamps are loosened and the ary bushing 9 andawayfrom the refrigerator bushing 9, after which said tube, nut and ring can be disconnected. bushing 3 can now be screwed into the upper In Fig. 8 I haveshown a key adapted for use in screwing on orunscrewing the nuts 5 and for screwing the bushings 3 into place. This key comprises a ring 26 from the top recesses in the tops of the nuts5 or in the recessed tops of the bushings 3; and the said pins beingslightly shorter than the depth of said recesses the ring 26 will sit smoothly and evenly on the nuts 5 or flanged bushings 3, as the case may be.

barrel or vessel is then lifted oif the station- If desired,-the exterior of the bushings 3 maybe made smooth to within a short distance of their inner ends which may be slightly re duced in diameter and screw-threaded. In

this'case the flangedouter ends of the bushings need not be provided with recesses tore-- ceive an instrument for-screwing them into position asthey may then be easily driven into the holes in the barrel heads and be secured by means of retaining rings 31,Fig. 9, on their innerscrew-threaded ends. Packing material may, if desired, be interposed between the rings 31 and the innersidesof the barrel heads to which the said bushings and retaining rings are, of course, attached before" the IIO heads are inserted in the barrels. I prefer to provide the rings 31 with radial arms 32 which afford a means for securely screwing the rings onto the bushings and which extend almost entirely across the inner surface of the barrel head and in contact therewith, thus increasing the security of the means for retaining the bushings inplace.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination with a support 11, and clamping rods 12, of the stationarybushing 9 having recesses 18 in its upper edge, of the tubular cap 19 provided with internal lugs 21 adapted to engage said recesses and the head or plate 20 on the upper end of said tubular cap and adapted to engage within thechines at the lower end of a barrel to support said barrel and prevent it from turning while being fitted with bushings for a refrigerator tube, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a support 11 the adjustable guide rods 12 provided with clamps 15, and the bushing 9 having recesses 18 in its upper edge, of the tubular cap 19 provided with the head or plate 20 and lugs 21, substantially as described.

3. The'combination of the stationary sup-. port 11, the bushing 9 having recesses 18 in its upper edge and provided with feet secured to said stationary support, a head adapted to engage the recesses of the bushing and the adjustable, vertically arranged guide rods 12 having clamps at their upper ends, substantially as described. 1

4. The combination with a support 11, and clamping rods 12, of the stationary bushing 9 having recesses 18 in its upper edge, of the ring 22 having lugs 23 and set screws 24:,substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. The combination with a central stationary bushing 9, and a head adapted to engage the bushing of a series of adjustable, verticallyarranged guide rods 12 arranged around said bushing and provided with clamps 15 at their upper ends, said bushing adapted to engage devices for supporting a barrel while a refrigerator tube is fitted thereto or removed therefrom, substantially as described,

6. The combination with a support 11, and clamping rods 12, of the stationary bushing 9 having its upper edge provided with recesses 18, of the tubular cap 19 provided internally with lugs 21 adapted to engage said recesses and, having a head provided with ratchet arms 25 to engage within the chines of a barrel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER B. KOKERNOT. [n 8.]

Witnesses:-

Gno. O. AUER, ALPHONSE J. OUNEo. 

